The Unnaipol Oruvan actor had a candid tête-à-tête with Bollywoodlife as he shared some inside details about his upcoming projects

This actor may have started his career in Mumbai as a model but today he’s made inroads in south cinema. Currently, Ganesh Venkatraman has two projects in Tamil that he’s excited about – Acharam where he plays the lead and Jayam Raja’s Thani Oruvan where he’s part of the ensemble cast. The actor will also be seen in the Hindi remake of Polladhavan this year. Having worked in all the south languages, Ganesh seems to have found a niche for himself. Talking exclusively to us, he reveals more about his projects, the film industry and his first even Indian dance drama musical on stage in Chennai.

Tell us about Achharam.

Achharam is a film by an associate of Radha Mohan, Mohan Krishna. I heard the script about one and a half years back and was quite kicked about it. I have always played the urban, stylish characters and this movie is different – it’s a psychological thriller and I will be seen in a dual persona similar to a double role but not quite. I have two distinct looks in the film. Poonam Kaur plays the heroine in this film. This movie is for the masses and classes and I am looking forward to the audience’s reaction.

Was this role difficult to play?

No, because the director Mohan Krishna has written a very tight script and the charcaterisation is also extremely detailed. I have worked hard for the film yes. When I play a role, I like to get into the head of the character.

This is a Jayam Raja film and it’s an original script – it’s very interesting. We are halfway through the climax of Thani Oruvan right now. Last year we went to the most exotic locations in the north to shoot in places like Hrishikesh, Derhadun, Manali and Mussoorie. I can’t reveal much about Thani Oruvan except that Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara and I play friends in this film and we see some wrongdoing in society which we take on. Like everyone knows now, Arvind Swamy plays a negative character.

Tell us about the Polladhavan remake in Hindi.

It’s titled Guns of Banaras and completely shot in Banaras. Karan Nath is playing Dhanush’s role and I am playing Daniel Balaji’s. I have a strong role in the film and I’m happy with this debut. Vinod Khanna, Abhimanyu Singh, Nathalia Kaur and Shilpa Shirodkar are also in this film. The movie shows the underbelly of Banaras and is adapted for the Hindi audience.

Achharam is complete so when is it releasing?

We are looking for a release date slot (laughs). The issue now that people are facing in Kollywood is getting a release date. Producers complete films and now have to wait for a release date. As actors, we need to help in this process of promotion and release – it is our responsibility as well.

But many actors in Kollywood don’t engage in marketing promotions.

Like I said, it’s also the actor’s responsibility to work with the producer in marketing and promotions during release. Many actors may feel that their job is over once they complete the film but today actors need to have a 360 degree outlook. Promotions on tv, print, radio, social media and events are important for the film and every bit helps. That’s my approach. The film industry is very dynamic and so is society. Producers making successful films for the last decade suddenly find that their films today don’t work – it’s because the audience is dynamic, their tastes keep changing. We need to be connected with the audience. At the same time, over-hype can kill a film.

As an actor, would you go to any lengths for a role – like Vikram in I?

Kudos to Vikram for his performance in I and what he did for the role. I think I would do what is required for a role – but nothing insane! (Laughs) In this day of technology and CGI, a lot of things can be enhanced through technology. But actors who have strong convictions about a film will always do what is required – like Mathew McConnaughey in Dallas Buyers Club where he went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor.

Have you done anything crazy for a role?

In 2008, Radha Mohan had come to Mumbai to audition for the role of Joginder Singh for Abhiyum Naanum. I attended the audition and didn’t pass the test because he said, “We’ll get back to you”. I was determined to succeed. The next day I dressed up as sardar with the beard and turban and make up and landed up at the audition. I barged in and spoke to him like a sardar for about five minutes pretending I had come for the audition. Then I took off the beard and told him, “Sir, I had come yesterday and I knew I failed so I decided to come back as a sardar.” He was amazed at my dedication and said, “You are in my film!”

Other than films, what are you working on?

I am doing my first ever Indian dance drama on stage! I have done plays in college but this is the first time I am doing a dance drama musical. It’s the adaptation of Cinderella. Actress Iyshwarya plays Cinderella and this has been conceptualised and choreographed by dancer Zakir Hussain. We are performing it in Kamaraj Arangam on February 9. I am really excited and looking forward to this. We are rehearsing everyday!

The two will soon be seen together in a feel-good film directed by Jayam Raja

Jayam Ravi and Nayanthara will finally share screen space for the first time. The two will do this in a film to be directed by the former’s brother Jayam Raja.“It is a feel-good story for family audience and both Ravi and Nayan have interesting roles. The actress is thrilled about working with Ravi and Raja for the first time,” sources said.

In the past, the Raja-Ravi duo has come up with memorable movies such as Jayam, M Kumaran S/o Mahalakshmi, Unakkum Enakkum and Thillalangadi.

Raja’s last film was the Vijay-starrer Velayudham, which did well at the box-office. Meanwhile, Ravi is currently busy with Boologam in which he plays a boxer.

The powerhouse brothers are back together with their sixth venture

Jayam Ravi and his director brother Jayam Raja are working together again, for a film to be produced by AGS Entertainment, which had earlier produced Santhosh Subramaniam, a film the brothers had done together.

Jayam Ravi and Raja have carved a niche for themselves in the industry, having delivered hits such as Jayam, M.Kumaran S/o Mahalakshmi, Unakkum Enakkum, Santhosh Subramaniam and Thillalangadi.

A thrilled Raja, whose last venture was the Vijay-starrer Velayudham, said, “Jayam Ravi and I are joining hands together again for the coveted production house AGS Entertainments. This is my seventh venture as director and it comes after the blockbuster Velayudham.”

He added, “After giving five super hits together, Ravi and I are exploring a new genre on a massive scale. It will be a new dimension in the action and family drama category. For nearly six months we’ve been working on a fresh story and a challenging screenplay.”

If you are ready to forget logic and engage in about two-and-a-half hours of make believe, then you should be rushing to watch superstar Vijay’s Velayudham

True to form, Vijay Ilayadalapathy provides his fans with a dish that has all the ingredients of the typical Kollywood potboiler. Directed by Jayam Raja, the movie includes all the ingredients that one associates with any of Vijay’s movies. It has action, comedy, some good music and dances thrown in together with dollops of sentiments. Raja has managed to deftly package all these elements into a slick entertainer that has ‘paisa vasool’ written all over it.What’s more, you needn’t bother about any twists and turns in the script that is ram rod straight and has drawn liberally from earlier hits like ‘Azaad‘ (Tollywood) and ‘Indian‘ and ‘Anniyan‘ (Kollywood).

The story revolves around television journalist Bharathi (Genelia D’Souza) whose plan to end corruption involves creating a fictitious character called ‘Velayudham’. She spreads the word that this person is out to punish all wrong-doers like the old man (Kamal Hassan) did in Indian a decade ago. Things tend to go wrong when a happy-go-lucky village milk vendor of the same name gets embroiled in this plot. This country bumpkin, who lives with his sister Kaveri (Saranya Mohan) and cousin Vaidegi (Hansika Motwani), goes to the city to withdraw money saved for a wedding and finds himself in a spot of bother. Circumstances force him to meet Bharathi and he decides to take law into his own hands by taking on the identity of the fictitious Velayudham created by the journalist. Of course, the rest of the movie dwells on how the proverbial good triumphs over evil as the milk vendor turns into a vendor of justice. The movie takes off from where ‘Kavalan’ left and Vijay appears at ease doing what he does best – playing to the gallery. The role is a cakewalk for the actor, who however does impress with some mind boggling stunt sequences. Maybe, this is Vijay’s way to score a point over rival Ajith and Vikram!

True to form, the leading ladies have very little to do and Hansika and Genelia almost sleepwalk through the movie. They look good on screen and add a bit of oomph. Comic relief is provided by Santhanam while the bad guys are led by Sayaji Shinde with Sampath Raj and Manivannan playing second fiddle. Priyan’s cinematography and Tom Delmar’s stunts are akin to watching fireworks on Diwali night. They gel well and makes for quite a treat. The movie is not inordinately stretched, thanks to VT Vijayan’s deft scissors. The music and background score by Vijay Antony adds a zing to the proceedings. To sum it up, Velayudham, produced by Aascar V Ravichandran, might not work well with the multiplex audience. But, the film could strike the right chord with others, especially those who would like to watch a cracker of an entertainer. It is a movie that entertains unabashedly by doing away with our thinking caps.

Excited about playing a messiah of the masses, Vijay is a busy man

Vijay has spilled the beans on his much-awaited Velayudham, which is set to hit the screens soon. “It is a movie to reckon with in my career and it is no doubt a ‘superhero’ project,” he says. Happy to play the role of a protector, he added that “It is the desire of every actor in the industry to do the role of a messiah of the masses. I am no exception. When Jayam Raja narrated the script, I was impressed and it was exactly the one that I was looking for.” Velayudham is not just that, it carries a strong message. There is logic behind every scene and my producer (Aascar Ravichandran) has spent a lot to bring the project to life. All these things have come together to make it an interesting fare,” he added. Post Velayudham, Vijay will start working with Seeman and A R Murugadoss. While Seeman’s project has been tentatively titled Pagalavan, the film to be directed by AR Murugadoss has not been named yet.

J Jayalalithaa must be smiling a lot. Endorsing her party with an assertive thumbs-up is none other than the Ilayathalapathy (Young Commander) of Kollywood, Vijay

Rumours were rife about such a turn of events ever since Vijay met the AIADMK supremo fairly recently. This move attains great significance especially since it comes at a time when mighty superstars like Rajinikanth go weak in the knees at the very mention of a political entry.

Vijay, who had been sulking at an assumed DMK embargo on his film Kaavalan, has finally decided to return fire. And what better way to do it than to support the party founded by MGR, the iconic adversary of M Karunanidhi? The AIADMK camps are reportedly celebrating Vijay’s endorsement, for the actor’s fan following is second only to that of Rajinikanth. His fans are known for their fierce loyalty to their hero, and are expected to turn the tables in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Speaking on behalf of Vijay, his father and movie producer SA Chandrasekhar officially announced the support of the IlayaThalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam to Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK. Though it has been specified that the support is only with regards to the upcoming Assembly elections, it is nonetheless a great help to AIADMK, which is not only facing a million-dollar party, but also the Kollywood biggies who have given their silent nod in favour of the incumbent party.

Vijay will reportedly be campaigning for AIADMK, while his father and brother are poised to contest the elections. SA Chandrasekhar met AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa on Sunday to officially offer his support. Chandrasekhar will also commence his campaign for the AIADMK alliance soon, as Vijay is currently busy with Jayam Raja’s Velayudham.